Another shooter arrested for Aligarh bizman’s murder
Superintendent of police (city) Mrigank Shekhar Pathak said that both shooters hired for the killing of Abhishek Gupta, a 25-year-old two-wheeler showroom owner, had now been arrested. Gupta was gunned down on September 26 while boarding a bus to Hathras. Search is underway for Puja Shakun Pandey, an ABHM office-bearer accused of hiring killers, while her husband is already behind bars.
Police on Friday arrested the main shooter involved in the murder of a businessman in Aligarh, even as the search continues for Akhil Bharat Hindu Mahasabha (ABHM) office-bearer Puja Shakun Pandey, who is accused of hiring the killers, police said. Her husband Ashok Pandey, the ABHM spokesperson, is already behind bars, they added.
Superintendent of police (city) Mrigank Shekhar Pathak said that both shooters hired for the killing of Abhishek Gupta, a 25-year-old two-wheeler showroom owner, had now been arrested. Gupta was gunned down on September 26 while boarding a bus to Hathras.
Police said one of the assailants, Mohd Fazal, had been arrested earlier this week, while the main shooter, Asif, was taken into custody on Friday near the Delhi-Kanpur highway at Shah Kutubpur. Asif carried a reward of ₹25,000 and was wanted under sections 103(1)/61(2)/ 351(3) of the Bharatiya Nyaya Sanhita (BNS) and Section 3/25/27 of the Arms Act, Pathak said.
According to police, investigations revealed that Asif and Fazal had known Shakun Pandey and her husband for 7-8 years. The duo had undertaken welding work at their house a month ago, when they were allegedly offered money to kill Gupta. The shooters initially demanded ₹5 lakh, but the deal was fixed at ₹3 lakh. Gupta’s photo was provided to them before the attack.
The case was registered against Ashok Pandey and Puja Shakun Pandey at Roravar police station in Aligarh on the fateful night.
Police said call detail records showed that Ashok Pandey had contacted Fazal 27 times between August and September, and spoke 11 times with his absconding wife.
“Police teams are searching for the absconding accused, who will be arrested soon,” the SP (city) said.
Puja Shakun Pandey, also known as Annapurna Bharti, is the national secretary of ABHM and claims the religious title of Mahamandleshwar. She made headlines earlier for publicly praising Nathuram Godse, Mahatma Gandhi’s assassin, at an event in Aligarh.
Gupta was with his father when two bike-borne assailants shot him on Friday evening. He was rushed to a hospital where he succumbed later that night.
Police said Gupta’s father had named Ashok Pandey and Puja Shakun Pandey in his complaint, citing strained relations between them and his son.
